Project PROTHO
LOCATION:
Harleyville, SC
ORGANIZATION:
Audubon South Carolina
GRANT AMOUNT:
$20,000.00
ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED IN PROJECT
The 16,000-acre Francis Beidler Forest Audubon Sanctuary supports some of the highest densities of breeding Prothonotary Warblers in the world. And with support from TogetherGreen, Audubon South Carolina and their network will continue their Project PROTHO initiative, which has already engaged thousands of community members in a scientific study to determine how the vibrant Prothonotary Warblers, whose population has been almost halved in the last 40 years, can best be protected.
This year, to attract and encourage the Prothonotary Warbles to nest, Audubon South Carolina will restore 103 acres of breeding habitat within Four Holes Swamp. Student and naturalist volunteers will help make and place 300 nest boxes made out of recycled materials, providing the warblers with the nesting cavities that have gone missing throughout the forest due to logging.
Audubon South Carolina also hopes their project will serve as a model for private landowners within their watershed, as well as other conservation agencies.
By involving community members directly in the efforts to support the iconic Prothonotary Warblers, Project PROTHO combines environmental education with hands-on conservation to create a group of dedicated environmental stewards - and a greater guarantee that Prothonotary Warblers will survive for future generations.